Karma
by BlatantBookworm
Summary: Ethan, one of the jocks in Bayville, said some very unkind things about mutants... But then Rogue told him she could sense who was a mutant and who was a human. And he was a mutant himself. And then the rest of the X-Kids get in on the joke...R&R people!


_**KARMA**_

**Just a little one-shot. Not really related to **_**Off Balance **_**but sorta related to **_**Kitty's Muffins**_**. Neither of those stories are mentioned here, so don't worry about going looking for them or anything.**

**This was just an idea on what should happen to those anti-mutant racists. I wondered what would happen if one of them became a mutant… and then wondered what would happen if they convinced a human he was really a mutant.**

* * *

><p>"Freaks!" That idiot snapped, pushing the three girls out of the way.<p>

"At least us _mutants _take a bath once in a while." Rogue snapped angrily back at him. "Except Toad, but he doesn't count. Ah hate those stupid idiots."

"Welcome to the club." Kitty sighed.

Kitty, Rogue, Amara and Kurt were in a fast food outlet, trying to get some food. "Midterms tomorrow." Amara groaned as they walked to a booth.

"Hey, count yourself lucky." Kurt grimaced. He was wearing his hologram as they sat casually at McDonalds. "I had one today."

"It doesn't help that half the teachers hate us." Rogue grimaced.

"Hey, lighten up." Kitty shrugged. "Mr. Clarkson is the best headmaster we've had so far. Hey, who was worse – Mystique or Kelly?"

"Hey look at all the muties!"

The X-Men spun around to see three jocks walk in, wearing the classic sports clothes. "Ah guess since Duncan graduated, these guys are competing for the title of head-jerk." Rogue drawled.

"Hey James," One of the guys said. There were two at the back and one was standing slightly forward. "How many mutants does it take to change a light-bulb?"

"I dunno, Nathan." The other one at the back said with a smirk. "How many mutants does it take to change a lightbulb?"

"None. The lightbulb changes itself!"

All three laughed menacingly. "Hey Kurt," Kitty said. "How many jocks does it take to screw a lightbulb?"

"I don't know Kitty. How many?"

"None. They're too stupid to realise it burnt out."

The mutants all laughed slightly.

"Look, I reckon you mutants oughta clear out. See, we _normal _people want to enjoy a nice, relaxing dinner here." The front jock leaned on their table.

"And… you do that by picking a fight with people who have super-powers? Good job boys." Amara clapped sarcastically.

"Who said anything about a fight?" The lead jock growled. "If you muties know what's good for you, you will clear off. Understood?"

"Wanna bet, ya yahoo?" Rogue got up abruptly, taking off a glove.

"Ooh, I'm so scared. She's taking her glove off. Save me from the horror!" 'James' laughed.

"Mah power is to put morons like you into ah coma with a single touch." Rogue growled.

"Rogue, calm down." Kitty grabbed her arm as Amara grabbed the other. "Seriously, we can't afford to get into any fights."

Rogue glared at the jock. "Fine." She slid her glove back on.

"Let's go, before Rogue changes her mind." Kurt said as they stood up. The mutants slid out of the booth. "Or before I give into ze temptation of porting him two miles into ze air and letting him fall."

"Probably a good plan." The X-Men turned to leave.

"That's terrifying, ain't it guys?" The lead jock said to his friends. "The terrible mutants are running away."

Rogue glared at him as the lead jock stepped up closer, apparently not realising that they _weren't _bluffing about the temptation of dropping him onto Bayville from very, very high up.

"So what is your powers, anyhow?" He laughed.

"Ah told you – putting meatheads into a coma with a single touch." Rogue growled.

"You mean a touch like this?" The jock placed his hand on her face.

Kitty, Kurt and Amara all automatically decided that he deserved everything he was about to get. Kitty spared a thought for Rogue, having _his _thoughts in her head.

They both flinched. "Aargh!" The jock yelped as Kitty pulled Rogue away from him.

He slumped to the ground. "Okay, that was _completely _his fault." Kitty nodded. "You okay Rogue?" Rogue was holding her head in her hands.

"Fine. Just a bunch of memories." Rogue grimaced. "Ethan there is a moron. Assuming that needed saying."

Kurt nodded. "Okay. If you're sure you're alright…"

"She's alright?" 'James' shouted angrily. "Look at Ethan!"

"He asked for it!" Kitty snapped. "Hello, Rogue told him _twice _that her power was to, like put people in a coma with a touch. And he reached out and grabbed her face. It's not like she **attacked** him or anything!"

"Come on guys." Amara grimaced, helping Rogue up. "Let's go before they try to get into another fight. The professor won't be happy if we destroy the restaurant."

The four mutants nodded and left as Ethan sat up.

"What happened?" He asked dizzily. Then his face cleared and he leaped up. "I am going to kill that weirdo goth freak."

He raced out of the building. James followed behind slower, unable to keep up with the adrenalin raged idiot.

Between the three of them, only Nathan was smart enough to decide that if one almost killed Ethan accidentally, it might be a smart idea not to get into a fight.

* * *

><p>"Stupid idiot." Rogue groaned, rubbing her head.<p>

"Hope he doesn't wake up for a while." Kitty sighed.

"He's brain-dead anyway." Amara pointed out.

"Definitely." Kurt agreed.

"You mutants are gonna pay for that!"

Kitty groaned. "Wasn't he unconscious?"

"Last time I checked." Kurt shrugged. "Should we knock him out again or just leave?"

"We'll go faster." Rogue decided. "Let's see if we outpace him. If he get's too close, Kurt, port him onto the top of a building or something. Something that won't get us into trouble but will stop him."

"Okay."

"Fine with me."

"Sure."

Then the teenage boy was with them. "There goes the 'outpace him' plan." Amara muttered.

"What… did… you muties… do to me?" Ethan gasped, breathing heavily.

"We just did what we said we vould." Kurt shrugged. "Not our fault you didn't listen to us."

"You mutants… are freaks of nature. I'm going to put you in your place."

"Our place? Excuse me? Put us in our _place_?" Amara demanded.

"You knocked me out. So I guess I'd better return the favour." Ethan balled up his fist and let fly towards the nearest person to him – Kitty.

"Good luck with that." Kitty said as he grabbed his hand out of her head, rubbing it. "I think you managed to dent the wall behind me, though." She added.

"What… how…"

Kitty rolled her eyes. "I thought the whole reason you were attacking us was because we're mutants? That generally means we have powers."

He twisted around and slammed his fist into the wall besides Amara. Amara set her hand on fire, holding a fireball in her palm. She smiled at him. "You gonna do this?"

"Oh yeah. Bring it on, freak."

Amara tensed her arm for a throw.

"Don't do it Amara!" Rogue said.

Amara let the fire die. "Right. The mutant/human relations, media, bad press… yada yada yada."

"No, that's not why." Rogue shook her head, a mischievious twinkle in her eye. "We're not going to attack a fellow mutant."

There was silence for a second.

"Uh… what?" Kurt said. This pretty much summed up what everyone was thinking.

"First, since when don't we attack other mutants? _Hello_, the brotherhood? Magneto? Apocalypse? And second… _fellow mutant_?" Kitty stared at Rogue.

"Of course he's a mutant." Rogue shook her head with a smirk. Ethan looked just as confused as anyone.

"I am _not _a freak like you."

Rogue looked over him. "Not _yet_, anyway. But knocking people out isn't all of my power. No, I can also tell whether someone is a mutant or not just by looking at them."

The other mutants were too astonished to say anything.

"What are you talking about?" Ethan demanded.

"Oh, come on. You think we were born this way? No, we started out just like any other human being. As we got older, we became… well, different." Rogue grinned. "Just like you."

"I… what? I am _not _a mutant."

"Yes, you are. You just haven't gotten your powers yet. I'd give you…" Rogue placed a hand to her head, like she'd seen Jean and the Professor do. "About a month at most before you get your powers, if you're lucky. Or unlucky, depending on how quickly you want to get them."

"But…" Ethan said, gibbering.

"Not sure what your power would be. Maybe…" Rogue put her hand to her head again, "telepathy? No… telekineses? Or…" Rogue thought around and her mind landed on the brotherhood. "superspeed. Or superstrength. Could be anything. Pretty powerful, too. Not Scarlet Witch powerful or Magneto powerful, but strong."

"Definitely not something easy to hide." Kurt added. "I mean, I'd guess you'd learn to hide it afser a year or two, but it vould take time to learn to play it down first."

"You never know, actually." Kitty joined in with a smile. "It might be something _hard _to hide, like how… Nightcrawler is covered in fur and has a tail. Or like Spyke, how he started looking normal but his mutation changed and now he's got sorta a spiky armour over his body."

"Yeah." Rogue nodded at the scared jock. "And so you better enjoy your _normality _while it lasts. Cause you ain't gonna be accepted by your so called 'friends' once everyone realises what you are."

Ethan snapped, all his resolve gone, and he raced off as fast as he could, terrified.

Amara looked at Rogue. "Why did you do that?"

Rogue shrugged. "He deserved it."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ethan what's… up?" James said as Ethan sprinted past him. James looked over as Ethan jumped into his car and drove home.<p>

It was a testament to his stupidity that he never once thought of the mutants he had gone to attack using their powers on him. Instead, James figured Ethan'd forgotten a date or something, or he'd promised his parents to be back by curfew or they'd take away his car.

Ethan leaped out of his car and raced to his own bathroom. He soaked his head and then looked at his reflection.

"This is nuts. I can't be a freak. I'm not a mutant. They were just pulling my leg." He said slowly, rubbing his head. "Oh, they are going to pay, those freaks of nature-"

_you ain't gonna be accepted by your so called 'friends' once everyone realises what you are… about a month at most before you get your powers…_ _you better enjoy your normality while it lasts…_

Honestly. He was acting like she was telling the truth. She was just creepy. That goth girl couldn't see the future. She didn't have magic powers…

Of course they had powers, you idiot. That's why they're dangerous. Ethan splashed water over his face.

That goth girl… she _had _knocked him out with just a touch. That other girl had set her hand on fire, and when he punched that third girl he'd just hit the wall behind her. He had no idea what the boy could do, but it was definitely something. How was he to know whether or not gothic girl was psychic?

"Ethan!" Ethan's mother yelled out from the kitchen. "Help me put away these bags!"

Ethan dully walked out and started putting the groceries into the cupboard. "Hey mum, what exactly do you think of mutants?"

His mother scowled. "They're freaks. Pure and simple, and they're dangerous. I mean, you're a big boy and you're safe from them – but what about Nikki? She's only seven, and I know you'll do your best to protect your little sister, but… well, I guess you have a life of your own, and even you probably wouldn't stand up in a fight against those who, I don't know, shoot lightning. I just worry about your sister."

"She'll be fine." Ethan shook his head. "Nikki's not an idiot. She knows it's safer in numbers. The mutants would only attack her is she wandered around on her own."

Ethan's mother sighed. "I guess you're right." She hugged her son, who stiffened. She held him at arms length. "I just am thankful that _you _and Nikki aren't mutants. I don't know what I'd do."

Ethan froze as his mother continued putting his stuff away. "I… I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Suit yourself." Ethan's mother smiled at her son as he raced into his room.

She didn't see him cover his mouth with a pillow and scream.

* * *

><p>"Midterms." Bobby groaned. "Today is going to stink."<p>

Kitty grinned at him. "Yeah, but a certain mutant-hater might be having a bit more of a… paranoid day."

"What?" Bobby looked at her, confused.

It was the next day and they had all woken up early for a danger-room session. It finished earlier than usual, however, and Jean and Scott had given everyone a ride to school.

They would have gone to the school library to study some more, but after a couple of insults, they all sat down on the bleachers to quiz each other.

"Well, remember how last night me, Kurt, Amara and Rogue went out?" Kitty said. Roberto, Ray, Sam and Bobby all turned to her.

"Yeah."

"Well, we ran into some anti-mutant jocks."

"Who said a few… unkind comments about mutants." Kurt added. "Ve tried to leave when one grabbed Rogue. You can all guess vhat happened then."

"Unfortunately, he didn't stay unconscious for very long." Amara rolled her eyes. "And didn't get the message, apparently, as he came racing after us."

"Yep. Amara was about ta throw a fireball at him when Ah said 'no, we don't hurt fellow mutants'." Rogue continued the story.

"What?" Sam interrupted.

"Yes, ah know we do fight mutants. He doesn't." Rogue shrugged. "Anyhow, ah told him I could sense who was a human and who was a mutant, and that he was a mutant who'd get his powers in about a month or so."

"Not to mention that these powers wouldn't be easy to hide." Kitty grinned. "Like, they could be powers that he'd have to learn to control over about a year, or he could be like Kurt or Mr. McCoy, covered in fur."

"And the kicker – ah finished off with '_you better enjoy being human while it lasts, cause your friend's ain't gonna stand by you once they realise what you are_.' Or something like that."

Bobby laughed. "Good one. What'll happen when he realises you were lying?"

"He won't be so freaked out." Rogue shrugged. "But seriously, what's he gonna do? I can always say that I was wrong… that I kept mixing that feeling up, if tha police come knocking."

The x-kids nodded, smirking.

"Let me guess… don't tell anyone?" Sam asked, running a finger absently along a line in his book.

"Well… Jean and Scott might, might, might possibly _tiny _tiny chance, think it's funny. They might let it get away for a week after they found out if we're lucky. Logan wouldn't care," Kitty said, thinking, "and Ororo and the Professor probably would make us go apologize."

"But shouldn't we do something? I mean, he's a human. He hates mutants, and suddenly he believes he's going to become one. Do you reckon we should… what?" Bobby said.

The others were staring at him. "You – Robert Drake – want to stop a prank?" Ray asked, stunned. He shook his head. "I'd ask if you were Mystique, but she's a _good_ actress. Wait; are you some other shape-shifter we've never met before?"

"What? _No! _I wasn't talking about telling him the truth… maybe if we decide what power he's going to have, and then see what we could do so that it looks like he's actually getting his powers… something we could do from a distance, and make it look like he's doing it…"

* * *

><p>Ethan was shivering. He'd stayed home for the past two days after his mother had taken his temperature and decided that he was unwell. But now he had to go to school. Coach said if he missed too many training sessions he'd get kicked off the team.<p>

He drove his little sister Nikki to the primary school, and then got out at Bayville High. "Well… here goes."

"Hey Ethan! Where'd you been, man?" James asked, Nathan right next to him.

"Yeah, we were getting worried." Nathan nodded.

"Nowhere. Came down with some stupid sickness… mum overreacted, made me stay home. What was I gonna do, sneak out of the house to come to the yawn factory?" Ethan said.

"Oh, good. I was scared those mutie freaks ripped your brain out through your nose." Nathan said. "They can do that, you know."

There was a snort, and the three jocks looked over to see the boy with blue hair who had been in the diner that night, with a girl with long brown hair **(Amanda)**. "What?" James asked defensively.

"Nothing." The boy shrugged as the two brushed past them.

"Hey, Kurt, can I look over your math notes?" The girl asked him as they both left. "I left mine at home."

"Sure. Also, do you understand that history thing about the Etruscans and the Romans? I keep mixing them up."

"Yep. You want me to help?"

"Yeah, Thanks."

"See?" James looked at his friends. "They're pure evil, and are plotting to take over the world."

"Wait, plotting to take over the world?" Ethan asked.

"We came up with a theory over the past few days-" Nathan began as the bell rang. "Should we get to class, or skip?"

"Mum'd probably go nuts if I missed another lesson." James shrugged as everyone left. "What do you reckon, Ethan?"

"Uh… yeah, let's go to class."

They wandered into their respective classrooms.

* * *

><p>Hey, was that creepy goth girl in his class before this?<p>

Ethan shook his head. Wait, he sort of remembered seeing her before in music, yeah. So… great.

"You're late." Mrs. Pinzetti frowned. "Everyone else is already in pairs, so, Mr. Dunes, you'll have to partner with Rogue."

"Who's Rogue?" Ethan asked.

"Ah am." A southern voice drawled. Ethan felt like this week couldn't get any worse. Not just any old mutant, but _her_?

Reluctantly he sat. "I don't want to do this." He muttered.

"This ain't exactly mah idea of a fun lesson either." _Rogue _– what kind of a name was that, anyway? – rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with."

Mrs. Pinzetti passed out flashcards. Rogue grabbed it before Ethan could get it. "I'll ask you first, then you ask me." She said.

"Fine. What are we doing?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Revision. First question – how many notes is a semibrieve, a quava and a minum put together?"

"Uh…" _Semibrieve was four, quava was half, minum was two… _"five and a half."

"Six and a half." Rogue grimaced. "Second question. What are the notes on the lines while writing on a staff?"

"E, G, B, D… F." Ethan said.

"Correct. State any signs of mutant powers Ethan Dunes has had so far."

"Well… wait, what?"

Rogue looked at him over the cards. "Had any powers yet? Still can't figure out what they are… but I'm getting closer to the mark." She smirked.

Ethan stared at her. "You… you're lying. I'm not…" His voice began to rise.

"Keep it down, would ya? Or else everyone else here will know that you're a _freak_, won't they?" Rogue smirked. "You have any idea what it's like to be teased every day by those you once thought were your friends, just cause you were born different?"

"What?"

"No? You will. Soon." Ethan felt panic rise within him. Rogue just smiled.

"Using tha piano, what hand is a _treble clef _played on?"

* * *

><p>"So… Monday?" Kitty asked as the X-Men who still went to school sat on their lunch table. "That when we gonna start?"<p>

"Yeah." Kurt nodded. "Make him sweat for a bit, then begin 'Operation Mutant Idiot'."

"Stop calling it that." Amara groaned.

"Also, if anyone sees him, just see what you can do to make him feel uneasy." Bobby added.

"Don't worry." Rogue said with a smirk. "We don't need to _try_."

* * *

><p>Ethan wandered into school again Monday yawning. He'd spent all Sunday night at a party, only getting home at five am.<p>

Normally he'd drink coffee, but he was so distracted he'd forgotten. He wandered into Maths class, breathing heavily.

When he'd woken up that morning, he'd found his sheet's had sort of… melted. They were all wet, and when he touched it it zapped him. It was like they had been frozen, and then dipped in lava, and then electrocuted for good measure.

Ethan may have screamed if his throat was working.

He sat down heavily at his table, and held his pencil tightly. What had happened last night?

"Hey man," Jake said next to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just… just didn't get back home until late." Ethan shook his head. Oh man, he shouldn't have gone to school. He should have just skipped.

"Mr. Dunes, could you help me and turn on the lights?" Mrs. James said.

"Huh? Oh, sure, Mrs. James." Ethan stood up and flipped the switch.

A crackle erupted from it. Ethan leaped back as the plastic melted as if under extreme heat, crackling with electricity. He yelped. "Ow!"

"What was that?" The classroom started whispering. Ethan looked back at them. "I… I don't know."

Behind him, a hand with pink sleeves behind it curled around the two other hands in the wall. The three mutants were pulled back out of the wall. Amara smirked. "That was fun."

"Uh-huh." Ray nodded.

"Totally."

"But…" Ray added, "it's not over yet. Not until we get busted."

* * *

><p>Ethan felt like the eyes of the entire school were upon him when he got to lunchtime. He sat at the table with Nathan and James, but they seemed to be looking at him.<p>

"So what's the deal with blockhead-jockhead over there?" Amanda asked, pointing. She and Kurt were sitting together at lunch time, when Kitty and Rogue had joined them. Then Bobby, then Amara, then Sam and Ray, and finally Roberto. "You've all been looking at him."

"He said a couple of insulting things about mutants." Kitty smiled slightly. "But… well; now he believes that _he's_ a mutant."

Amanda laughed. "How'd you manage that?"

"Well… a bit of lava, a bit of electricity, and sometimes a bit of ice…" Rogue pointed to Amara, Ray and Bobby, "can make it seem like one's power is to melt things into weird electric goo."

"Neat. But I thought that the professor at your school was a telepath? How do you keep secrets from him?"

"Not very vell." Kurt shrugged. "Ve'll get caught out eventually and have to write an apology or something… maybe even Logan sessions… but for now, it's fun."

Amanda smiled. "Cool."

* * *

><p>"The kid's are up to somethin', Chuck." Logan said, as he and the professor stood in his office. "They've been way too quiet. Not even a prank on each other."<p>

The professor thought about that. "True, but that may show a sign of their growing maturity."

Logan snorted. "Alright, I take your point." Professor X. nodded. "However, they may be working together on something. The children are rather… miserable about their social lives. They might be trying to improve mutant-human relations."

Again, Logan snorted. "Chuck, the kids would probably be more concerned about getting back the jerks who ditched them the instant they came out on T.V."

"I suppose your right. However, we can only hope."

* * *

><p>"What have you been doing lately, anyway?" Jean asked Kitty as they both started walking to the Danger Room in their costumes. "All of the X-Men still at school have sorta been… planning."<p>

Kitty smiled. "Oh, nothing much. Just working on a school assignment."

"Kitty? You're a really bad liar."

Kitty flushed.

"So what are you doing?"

"Sorry Jean, but if I told you…" She shrugged as they entered the room.

"What simulation are we doing today?" Scott asked Ororo as she pressed buttons to activate the danger room.

"Nothing in particular, no holograms. Simply to survive the lasers and the robots, and anything else the professor has dreamed up."

Storm left their sight, leaving the X-Kids in the Danger Room. "Three…" Scott muttered, looking around the blank room, "two… one… begin."

Right on cue lasers slid out of the walls. "Let's get started then." Kurt grinned, as they began to get fired at.

* * *

><p>"That was actually an okay training session." Ray said. "I dunno, I just feel… good about it. We did okay and didn't even get badly injured."<p>

"Lucky you." Rogue said with a wince, rubbing her shoulder. It was only grazed, but it still hurt. "Unfortunately mah powers don't work on machines."

"Be grateful they don't." Jean shrugged. "I mean, I don't know how it must be for you, but imagine knocking your computer offline when you try to type without gloves on or something. Plus computer memories would probably drive you crazy."

"I guess."

"That was a pretty good idea, Amara, Ray, Bobby." Scott said, looking at the three of them. "I mean, freezing it, melting it, and then electrocuting that laser? How'd you come up with that?"

Bobby shrugged. "Oh, we just did what we do to that stupid jock who Rogue convinced was a mutant."

"_Bobby!_" Rogue snapped. The other X-Kids glared at him.

"Oops." Bobby turned red. "Sorry, guys… I didn't think…"

"You convinced a human boy that he was a mutant, Rogue?" Jean asked. "How did you manage that?"

Rogue shrugged. "Well… he was an idiot and he was kinda asking for it. He picked a fight with us, and we tried to leave, and he grabbed my face. I had told him _twice _mah power was to knock people out with a touch. Anywho, he got mad and chased us when he woke up. Ah told him ah also had the power to see if someone was a mutant or not, and it kinda snowballed from there."

"Well… I guess he was kinda asking for it." Scott grinned.

Jean frowned at him but couldn't keep a smile from breaking through her lips. "Well, maybe, but that doesn't give us the right to…"

"Let him see what it's like to be unsure whether someone vill hate you once they find out vhat you are?" Kurt asked.

Jean hesitated. "Come on guys, just let it go on for another week or so." Bobby coaxed. "I mean, we all know the prof.'s gonna find out sooner or later – probably sooner – and you can pretend that you didn't know anything about it. Besides, he might even be more sympathetic to mutants after this."

"Or, more likely," Storm said from behind them. They spun around to see the African woman watching them, "he will become angry, resentful of the fear and hate mutants even more. You'll have to go to the Professor, tell him what you did, and then go apologize to the boy."

They sighed. "Okay."

A flicker of a smile tugged at her lips. "Although, I can't deny that it was a very funny idea."

* * *

><p>Ethan heard a knock at the door. He jumped. "I'll get it!" Nikki yelled, running to the door. Ethan heard the sound of it opening, and then there was a gasp.<p>

"Hello there." A woman's voice said. "Is… what was his name?"

"Ethan." Rogue's voice came, sounding resigned and a little sulky.

Ethan jumped. Rogue was there?

"Is Ethan home?"

"Uh… sure." Nikki hesitated, and then there was a call. "Ethan! Visitors!"

"Coming!" Ethan yelled, and then got up, wondering what was going on. He reached the door and his sister ducked away into the kitchen, where she could still see what was going on.

There was Rogue, the lava girl, the blue-haired boy, the girl who he had punched and his hand shot through, a blonde boy, and a boy with a weird orange hairstyle. Then there was that red-haired mutant who Duncan used to date, and a black woman with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

"What is it?" He asked.

Rogue sighed. "We-wish-to-apologize-for-leading-you-to-believe-you-were-a-mutant." She said in one breath.

"What?"

"Rogue told you that she can sense whether someone is a mutant or not, is that correct?" The woman asked, looking at him.

"Yeah…"

"She lied." The red-haired girl cut in. "Rogue can take memories, so if you knew you were a mutant she'd know by now too – you did touch her – but she can't sense whether someone is a mutant."

Ethan wasn't sure what to feel. Mainly it was confusion, but there was a sense of hope. He might _not _be a mutant?

"So…"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah can't believe you're making me do this like a kindergartener." She muttered. "Ah am very sorry for making you realise why mutants didn't reveal themselves until they were forced to. Ah am also sorry you had to worry about whether your friends would desert you and – ow! Jean!"

'Jean' had hit her on the back of the head. "Fine. Ah'm sorry, okay? Sorry for lying, sorry for continuing the lie, blah blah blah."

Ethan shook his head. "Then how come my sheets and stuff melted?"

"That was our fault." Lava girl, blonde-boy and weird hair guy stepped forwards, lava girl talking. "Bobby froze it, I melted it, and Ray electrocuted it."

"And I phased them through the wall to get rid of the light-switch. But not Bobby, because he already had too many late slips." Walking-through-walls-girl groaned.

"And I teleported zem into the house for the sheets." Blue-haired boy looked at his feet.

"So… I'm not a mutant."

The mutants shook their heads. "Most likely not." 'Jean' added. "But if you were, you'd probably have your powers by now."

"So… you freaks made me believe I was a freak too for _nothing?_" Ethan was getting angry. "You made me go through that _ordeal_?"

"Yes, heaven forbid you go through what we have to go through every day!" Walking-through-walls girl put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"I don't believe this! Here I was, a perfectly normal teenage boy, when you freaks turn up and make me believe in other wise. Oh, you are so going to pay for that!" He balled his fist.

"Look, Ethan," Jean said, stepping forwards. "I know that it was wrong for you to have to believe that, but think of this as a learning experience. Now you know what we have to go through all the time, and how difficult it is-"

"I don't want a lecture, you freak! I want to rip your precious _institute _apart! I want all you mutants to pay dearly for what you did to me!"

"We melted your bed-sheets." Blue-hair guy said, raising an eyebrow. "Not exactly a criminal offence."

"You broke into my house!"

"Is it breaking in if you teleport?" Blonde-boy asked Blue-hair. Blue-hair shrugged. "Don't think so. Ve should ask za professor."

"It was trespassing!" Ethan shouted. "You freaks think your so high and mighty just because you have powers, don't you?"

"No!" Jean insisted.

"Oh, puh-_leese_. You mutants are the most pathetic bunch I have ever seen! When I get my hands on you…"

"You're going to yell at us?" Orange-weird-hair looked at him. "Seriously dude, isn't this how the whole thing started? You trying to fight mutants?"

"Oh, you are so going to get it!" Ethan was almost frothing at the mouth now. He balled his fist and then swung hard at the nearest person – blonde-hair guy.

Blonde-hair ducked down instantly, and then a second later Ethan felt a coldness on his arm. It was freezing. He looked at his fist and almost screamed.

It was covered in a huge block of ice.

"You… you absolute _freaks!_" Ethan shrieked, and then kicked out at blue-haired boy. Blue-hair jumped to the side and rolled his eyes. "Nice shot."

Ethan spun around and kicked as hard as he could onto walking-through-walls girl without thinking. He fell right through her. "Like, I don't _think _so." She jumped over him and landed on his back. Then she walked off as he struggled to his feet.

His hand was still frozen. Whatever. He smashed it against the wall and the ice shattered.

"I'll kill you!" He howled in rage and anger, and then leaped at red-haired girl. An invisible force caught him and he fell back against the wall.

"Wow Rogue." Walking-through-walls girl looked at the goth. "It must be horrible to have that idiot inside your brain 24/7."

Rogue nodded. "Uh-huh. I wonder if the professor would help me get him out so I don't have to listen?"

"I'll do it if you want." Jean offered.

Ethan let out an animalistic howl but was pinned by solid air. Jean turned to him. "Look, Ethan, I think your just upset. You might want to calm down a little."

His only response was to bare his teeth. His judgement was clouded – all he knew was that he wanted to rip those freaks to shreds.

"Ethan, if you don't calm down… oh what the heck." Jean rolled her eyes as he roared again. Jean closed her eyes and Ethan fell off the wall, his eyes tightly closed, and didn't move when he landed against the floor.

"Did you kill him?" Kitty asked Jean, poking him with her foot.

"Nah. Just put him to sleep. I also altered his memories of the past few days. Just a bit of tweaking so his paranoia is gone. He won't remember chasing after you guys at all."

"Cool." Bobby nodded. "But isn't that kinda… unethical?"

"An excellent point." Ororo turned to Jean.

"Hey, he'd end up in a loony bin if I let him run around like he was. Either that or prison. Believe me, I'm doing the guy a favour." Jean grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "Kurt, could you teleport him into his bedroom? Then we'll leave and explain the whole thing."

Kurt glanced at Storm, then nodded and with a smell of brimstone he and the jock were gone. A moment later Kurt was back but Ethan wasn't.

"So he'll wake up tomorrow with no memory of any of this?" Kitty clarified.

"Yep." Jean nodded.

"So, like, what'll he think of his melted bed-sheets?"

"I don't know, but he won't suspect anything close to the truth. Besides, I'm guessing by now he's thrown them out. All he'll know is that they vanished. And I'm guessing that he loses stuff all the time."

Ororo hesitated. "Well… I suppose that it would have ended up worse for him if he'd remembered this. It's a pity that he didn't end up being more sympathetic."

"But it's a good thing that he wasn't actually a mutant." Kurt remarked as they got back into the X-Van. "Or else we'd have to invite him back to ze institute vith us."

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